Spike in bad customer behaviour in Japan sees firms like 7-Eleven push back
An increase in abusive customers, which in extreme cases has driven workers to suicide, is seeing some Japanese companies take a stand
The Japanese are often said to be well regarded for their etiquette and social graces.
But if this is especially true for those working in Japan’s service industry, the same cannot always be said of their customers.
Shoppers are famously referred to as “gods” by the firms that serve them, but some are seemingly taking advantage of their exalted status by making unreasonable demands that blur the line between legitimate complaints and outright abuse.
But because what constitutes harassment by customers is not defined by law in Japan, some have argued that it is difficult to set boundaries between a legitimate claim that could lead to improved service and those that cross the line.
Nonetheless, there has been a spike in cases of customers using abusive language, making threats and excessive demands, and unfairly blaming workers for problems they find with products or services.
Employees have even accused some customers of trolling them on social media, or in rare cases, demanding they perform dogeza – kneeling in a prostrate position before the customer and bowing one’s forehead to the floor in submission.
